Oral antibiotics: Doctors may start treatment with tetracycline (Sumycin) or one of the related "cyclines," such as doxycycline (Vibramycin, Oracea, Adoxa, Atridox, and others) and minocycline (Dynacin, Minocin). Other oral antibiotics that are useful for treating acne are cefadroxil (Duricef), amoxicillin (Amoxil, DisperMox, Trimox), and the sulfa drugs.
There you have it! As with any skin condition, it's best to consult your regular dermatologist to see which option is best for you. And while technology has come a long way in making dark marks and acne scars treatable, remember that most of us will experience them at some point. So while these are all feasible options for fading your acne scars, don't forget that you always have the choice of pimple positivity, too.

20. Know your options. Benzoyl peroxide products are great at fighting pimples, but can be drying to your skin, so use them only once a day (or every other day). If it's drying out or irritating your skin, switch out your cleanser for a gentle formula. (Keep up your regular acne spot treatment, but use just a dab!) It will clear away dirt and oil without stripping your skin of moisture. Salicylic acid (in creams, gels, astringents, or masks) dries less than benzoyl peroxide, so it can be used with more-drying cleansers.

Patients first receive a topical anesthetic, which works for about an hour before the device goes on. "When you’re done," she explains, "it looks like your skin has tiny holes — almost pixelated or grid-like — and I follow with SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic Acid, a hyaluronic acid serum, and Luxamend (a prescription wound-healing cream that speeds up healing). Finally, we apply Aquaphor to create a barrier for the skin." Depending on the intensity of the laser, patients can expect anywhere from a few days of ruddiness to up to 10 to 14 for very high-intensity treatment. There is a risk of bleeding, infection, or scarring. As always, you'll need to consult with your dermatologist about whether this treatment is right for you.
Inflammation is the single greatest gauge of scar development. The greater the inflammation on the skin, the more likely scarring is to occur. Deep breakouts that take a long time to heal also increase the chance of scarring. Blackheads, whiteheads, and other non-inflamed blemishes typically don't cause scarring because these types of lesions don't injure skin tissue.

16. Know this quick fix. If you wake up the day before school starts with a big honking zit, your doc may be able to help. If you can swing it, your best bet is to head to the dermatologist. "There is an almost immediate fix, and that's an injection with a dilute strength of cortisone done by your dermatologist," says Dr. Robin Evans, a dermatologist at SoCo Dermatology in Connecticut. "It's quick and easy, with minimal discomfort, and it usually goes down within a day." This isn't an easy or cheap option, obvi, but when it's an emergency — like, you have a huge whitehead on the tip of your nose the day before senior portraits — it might be worth it.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a procedure that treats precancerous cells, in addition to other types of cancer cells. The medical treatment does this with the help of a photosensitizing drug and a light source that activates the applied drug, destroying cancer cells. PDT is approved to treat non-small cell lung cancer, esophageal cancer, and Barrett's esophagus. It's used to treat actinic keratosis, as well as acne, rosacea, skin cancer, sun damage, oily skin, wrinkles, warts, psoriasis, and enlarged sebaceous glands.
Acne treatment that you apply to the skin: Most acne treatments are applied to the skin. Your dermatologist may call this topical treatment. There are many topical acne treatments. Some topicals help kill the bacteria. Others work on reducing the oil. The topical medicine may contain a retinoid, prescription-strength benzoyl peroxide, antibiotic, or even salicylic acid. Your dermatologist will determine what you need.
"Overwashing your face can make acne worse," Dr. Kazin explains. Cleansing more than twice a day is too much and can just dry out skin, "which can cause [it] to produce more oil to overcompensate." Your Clarisonic addiction may not be helping either. "It helps remove all makeup and helps your cleanser work better, but I worry about the coarse ones. It's almost like giving yourself microdermabrasion twice a day, which can cause a breakout," says Dr. Kazin. Dr. Schultz seconds that: "Anything that rubs skin will, to a small extent, promote acne." That includes a grainy or gritty cleanser, too. Try these two gentle face washes instead: Phace Bioactive Detoxifying Gel Cleanser or Frank Body Creamy Face Cleanser.
Rosacea is a common skin problem often called "adult acne." Faired skinned and menopausal women are more likely to have rosacea. Rosacea also seems to run in families. It causes redness in the center parts of the face and pimples. Blood vessels under the skin of the face may enlarge and show through the skin as small red lines. The skin may be swollen and feel warm.
Most people find themselves suffering from an acne outbreak at some point usually during their adolescence when they go through puberty. Whether it's due to hormones or stress. Contrary to popular belief, pimples don't necessarily mean your skin is dirty or unclean — in fact, over-cleansing can irritate your skin even more. However, hormones aren't uncontrollable, and there are simple changes you can make to eliminate your breakouts. You can have your glowing, healthy, and pimple-free skin back in no time.
5. You're scrubbing your skin too hard. A lot of people with acne think that the more you scrub your skin with a washcloth, rough exfoliants (like crushed apricot seeds), or cleansing brushes, the smoother your skin will be, but in reality, the problem will only inevitably get worse. What happens when you do that is you scrub the active acne and the blemish bacteria gets spread across the skin, worsening the condition.
The first and most important rule isn't groundbreaking: Remember to wash your face! Cleansing and treating your skin twice a day is the best way to keep breakouts away. For those emergencies when you're just too tired to wash your face, keep a stash of face wipes in the drawer of your nightstand. This way if you get home super late and don’t feel like going all the way to the sink, you can still go to bed with clean skin!
8. You can't stop picking at your pimples. It's tempting in the moment, but it's never a good idea to play dermatologist, because it's impossible to pick your own pimple and not make a red mark that could turn into a scar. Even worse, when you try to press the plug or oil or puss out of your pore, you run the risk of pushing the bacteria deeper or spreading it around underneath your skin, multiplying your pimples.
Unfortunately, subtype 2 rosacea was historically referred to as “acne rosacea,” reflecting the belief that the two conditions were related. Although it is now known that there is no connection between acne and rosacea, the term can still be found in older literature about the disease, as well as in occasional reports today. This has often led to confusion by the public, and rosacea sufferers with bumps and pimples may mistakenly self-diagnose themselves as having acne. The two disorders require different treatment, however, and acne medications may cause rosacea symptoms to get worse.
Treatment of acne scars: For those patients whose acne has gone away but left them with permanent scarring, several options are available. These include surgical procedures to elevate deep, depressed acne scars and laser resurfacing to smooth out shallow acne scars. Newer forms of laser resurfacing ("fractional resurfacing") are less invasive and heal faster than older methods, although results are less complete and the procedures may need to be repeated three or more times. These treatments can help, but they are never completely successful at eliminating acne scars.